The use of drag reducing agents to reduce the effect of friction (“drag”) experienced by a liquid hydrocarbon, such as crude oil, flowing through a hydrocarbon transportation pipeline is well-known in the art. Reduction of the drag decreases the amount of energy needed to accomplish such flow, and therefore also decreases the costs associated with pumping. These materials, often called drag reducing agents (DRAs), can take various forms, including certain polymers in the forms of latexes, oil soluble suspensions, emulsions, pellets, gels, microfine powders and particulate slurries. Particulate slurries that comprise ground polymers are often one of the most cost effective forms. One goal is a DRA that rapidly dissolves in the flowing hydrocarbon and that has a polymer content sufficient to ensure that the desired level of drag reduction is achieved.
However, in the case of the DRA being a latex, latex formulations are well known to have the problem of the latex particles agglomerating during pumping operations. These agglomerated particles tend to be very hard and consequently may plug check valves in injection pump equipment leading to injection failure. The latex particles may agglomerate or accumulate or collect into masses that cause other flow assurance problems. While “flow assurance” and “assured flow” are terms used in the oil and gas industry to mean ensuring successful and economical flow of a hydrocarbon stream from a subterranean reservoir to the point of sale, these terms as used herein are defined to mean ensuring successful flow of a latex DRA, whether the latex DRA is neat or is in a drag reducing composition or is within a hydrocarbon stream.
Thus, it would be desirable if a hydrocarbon stream and a method for producing such a stream could be developed that prevents or inhibits latex DRA particles from agglomerating to an extent that they become troublesome or inhibits or prevents flow economically.